About the song
There’s something timeless about the way **Willie Nelson** approaches a song. Whether he’s penning his own lyrics or interpreting the works of others, his voice—worn like a favorite denim jacket—carries a kind of wisdom that feels both intimate and universal. When he lends that unmistakable voice to a well-known classic like **”Have You Ever Seen the Rain”**, the result is something quietly profound.
Originally written and recorded by John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival, **”Have You Ever Seen the Rain”** is a song that has long resonated with listeners through its haunting imagery and melancholy tone. It’s a song about disillusionment, about trying to make sense of life when the world feels out of balance. When **Willie Nelson** takes it on, the emotional undercurrent of the song shifts slightly. With his signature phrasing and subtle storytelling, he transforms the track into a country meditation, colored with the weariness and tenderness that only he can deliver.
Nelson’s version is slower, more reflective. Where the original carried a sense of urgent questioning, Willie leans into the quiet acceptance that sometimes, yes, the rain *does* fall even on a sunny day—and all we can do is watch it. That simple observation becomes deeper in his hands. The sadness, the wonder, and the resignation all seem to float just behind his gentle guitar strumming and familiar drawl.
Part of what makes **Willie Nelson – Have You Ever Seen the Rain** so compelling is that it doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel. Instead, it strips the song down to its emotional core. His interpretation invites the listener to pause, to reflect—not just on the lyrics, but on the places in their own lives where sunshine and sorrow coexist. For older listeners especially, there’s a kind of comfort in hearing a song like this carried by someone who’s lived through decades of change and heartache, and who still manages to find beauty in the questions we never quite answer.
In the hands of **Willie Nelson**, this classic becomes less a cover and more a quiet conversation with time.
Video
Lyrics
Someone told me long ago
There’s a calm before the storm
I know
It’s been coming for some time
When it’s over, so they say
It’ll rain a sunny day
I know
Shining down like water
I want to know, have you ever seen the rain?
I want to know, have you ever seen the rain
Coming down on a sunny day?
Yesterday, and days before
Sun is cold and rain is hard
I know
Been that way for all my time
‘Til forever, on it goes
Through the circle, fast and slow
I know
It can’t stop, I wonder
I want to know, have you ever seen the rain?
I want to know, have you ever seen the rain
Coming down on a sunny day?
I want to know, have you ever seen the rain?
I want to know, have you ever seen the rain
Coming down on a sunny day?
I want to know, have you ever seen the rain?
I want to know, have you ever seen the rain
Coming down on a sunny day?
Coming down on a sunny day
Coming down on a sunny day
